David Walliams: ‘I thought I would write just one or two books – just for myself’

This feature about David Walliams has some interesting observations, particularly in regard to the lessons Wallaims says he learned from reading Roald Dahl…

While The Boy in the Dress and its successors Mr Stink and Billionaire Boy were “modest successes”, it was with his fourth book, Gangsta Granny, that Walliams made his breakthrough.

“When I wrote my first book, I was well known as someone who was on television but it didn’t immediately translate into big sales,” he recalls.

“It just grew gradually, but when Gangsta Granny came out, I really felt it change. Whenever I’d do an event, it became apparent that it wasn’t the parents dragging their children along in the hope of seeing me do some Little Britain, it was the kids dragging their parents along.”